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For more information,
please contact the
Healthy Pacific Lifestyle Advisers of the section:

Dr Viliami PULOKA
Physical Activity
Tel.: 687 26 09 52

Ms Jeanie McKENZIE
Alcohol and Tobacco
Tel.: 687 26 01 22

Ms Karen FUKOFUKA
Nutrition
Tel.: 687 26 67 75

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BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex
New Caledonia
Fax: +687 26.38.18

Press Release

Ponerihouen to hold community outreach day on risks of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis

Wednesday 11 October, 2006, SPC Headquarters (Noumea, New Caledonia) — Ponerihouen, a township on the east coast of New Caledonia, will hold its second, annual community outreach day on the risks of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis on Friday, 13 October.

The first outreach in September 2005 was designed to provide the community with information on the risks posed by these drugs. The focus this time will be on dialogue between young people and adults.

“A community outreach day dedicated to alcohol, tobacco and cannabis issues is an essential step Ms Jeanie McKenzie, Alcohol and Tobacco Adviser in recognising community concerns and identifying solutions,” says Jeanie McKenzie, the new SPC Alcohol and Tobacco Adviser.

“I welcome this initiative, which has been shaped by the people of Ponerihouen themselves and has been three years in development. The commitment of the mayor and his team, traditional leaders, teachers, women’s and church groups, the gendarmerie and the health service in working together to fight against the abuse of alcohol and the health risks of tobacco and cannabis use shows how seriously the community views these issues.”

“I learnt about this outreach programme through Dr Christian Michel, who is head of New Caledonia’s service for the prevention and treatment of addictions, when we met and shared our mutual concerns on areas around tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use. We agreed that we needed to highlight these success stories and make them more visible on the regional scene,” adds Jeanie.

The day will include a student exhibition on the theme of cannabis and youth well-being. A physician who specialises in addictions will run a workshop for adults on educational approaches and health promotion, and young people will meet with the organising group to exchange their thoughts and ideas. They will also perform a play tackling the problem of “melancholy” that youth can experience. The performance will be followed by a plenary debate on youth well-being.

The organisers hope that this workshop will strengthen the community’s commitment to prevention by facilitating meetings, exchanges and discussion on issues relating to alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use in Ponerihouen.

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